


This book is not about heroes (it is about children and War)

by codedredalert



Series: One Piece daemon AU snapshots [1]
Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemon Touching, Gen, Mentorship, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 14:40:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19211512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/codedredalert/pseuds/codedredalert
Summary: Law's first lesson in having his soul assaulted was at the hands of a well-meaning Doflamingo.





	This book is not about heroes (it is about children and War)

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta-ed, and I haven't read HDM in like 99999 years and tbh I don't rmb much but somehow I ended up stress-writing daemon fic lol. Will be using this series to take breaks from plot-heavy fics and Life so ya, let's keep this Real Casual else it won't work no more.
> 
>  
> 
> Daemons are manifestations of peoples' souls. The animal form a daemon takes is indicative of a person's character -- eg. dogs are loyal servants. Touching someone's daemon is socially unacceptable.

 

Law was always easy to find. The boy trained during the day and studied in the library at night, as per the schedule Doflamingo had drawn up for him. Doflamingo simply walked into the library one night with his flamingo daemon just behind him. 

"Good to see you, Law. Put the book down for a minute," Doflamingo ordered nicely. Law looked up. His daemon, a white wolverine, was draped across his shoulders like an exotic shawl. 

Doflamingo dragged a chair to sit across the table from Law. He crossed his legs and lounged like the king he was.

"How are you settling in?" asked Doflamingo. 

"Fine." Law put his book neatly to the side, a small frown on his face. The little gears of his mind spun almost visibly, it put a grin on Doflamingo’s face. 

"Hahah! No need for that face, Law. You're not in trouble. Quite the opposite. Your teachers report that you're progressing well."

"... What is this about then?" 

Doflamingo and his flamingo daemon exchanged looks and laughed. Doflamingo pointed at Law and Law’s wolverine showed its teeth, offended. Doflamingo ignored it. 

"Law, you came to me because you wanted to be remade in my image. Be honoured! We’re going to do exactly that. Two points, to start you off-"

The fact that this was a lesson finally clicked, resulting in a look of comprehension on Law’s face. Law dutifully produced a pen and paper and started taking notes.

Silly Law. As if he needed things as inconsequential as pen and paper for these lessons. He had asked to be remade, hadn't he? These lessons would be engraved in his bones by the time Doflamingo was done with him.

"First, master your body, mind and daemon." Doflamingo raised a count with his fingers - _one, two, three_ - thumb, index, middle. "You're mine now, Law, and losing you to poor maintenance or ignorance is a waste I won't stand for."

_ Scritch-scritch-scritch  _ went Law's pen across the paper.

"Second. Learn how to take apart another person in every way imaginable." With a flourish of his wrist, Doflamingo snapped his fingers back into a fist. "The smallest unit of any enemy in this world is the sentient being, and every sentient being works on similar principles."

A grim nod, another line of messy handwriting was added to the paper.

"Nothing to say?" asked Doflamingo, spreading his hands.

Law looked at him and quirked an eyebrow.

"What's there to say? It makes sense."

Doflamingo grinned and leaned back in his chair. He gestured towards Law's daemon.

"Alright then, let's talk about your daemon. Has she Settled?" asked Doflamingo, motioning for Law's daemon to come closer. 

In answer to his question, the white wolverine became a snowy owl and flew down to the table silently.

"Not yet," answered Law, with a disgruntled note to his voice which made Doflamingo chuckle. Law did so hate being a child. He thought he wasn't one after what he had been through.

"Soon, I think," added Law. "Diana only does four or five shapes now."

"Three," the owl chipped in as she walked across the table so Doflamingo could get a better look at her. "I think we're done with foxes."

"I see. So, wolverine, owl, and one more. What's the last one?" asked Doflamingo.

"Leopard," answered Law.

" _ Snow  _ leopard," said Law's daemon. She shifted accordingly, transforming into a regal monochrome cat, abruptly taking up half the table. "I like it, but being big is inconvenient."

The wolverine, known for its fury belying its size. The owl, wise and silent, a deadly hunter. The snow leopard, precise, strong, and intelligent. 

Oh, Doflamingo had done  _ well  _ in keeping Law. All three options indicated a person who would be much better suited as Corazón than Rosinante and his sad little mynah bird.

"If that's the only issue, I can move you to a bigger room," offered Doflamingo. Law and Diana shared a look.

"It's fine for now." Law answered for both of them. "Maybe if she really does Settle like this."

Doflamingo nodded and went back to the matter at hand.

"What do you know about daemons, Law?" he asked.

"Everyone has one when they're born. It takes the shape of an animal, but usually the specific type of animal shifts until the person is an adult and the daemon Settles on one form. The daemon is usually a different biological sex from the person, and the average maximum range a person can be from their daemon is about thirty metres."

Doflamingo held up a hand and Law stopped his textbook rattle.

"All correct," said Doflamingo with a languid wave of his hand. "But we're interested in the more practical implications. For example, the easiest way to remove an enemy from a fight?"

"Hurt their daemon," replied Law instantly. Clever boy. Doflamingo was pleased that Law had given that answer despite it being a taboo. 

Still, not quite there yet. 

" _ Kill _ their daemon," corrected Doflamingo. "It’s better to eliminate enemies properly, unless they’re still useful to you. If you need the person functional, either hurt or take the daemon hostage. A light touch is usually enough to incapacitate. Why?"

"You don't touch other people's daemons." Law answered confidently, keeping a steady, attentive gaze on Doflamingo.

"Why?" prompted Doflamingo.

At this, Law floundered.

"... Because it's someone's soul," Law finally said as an answer, though there was a hint of uncertainty twisting his words into an almost question. 

"So?" asked Doflamingo. "Put some thought into it." 

Law had no response and Doflamingo sighed. Some things could only be understood by experience. 

Without warning, Doflamingo's shot out to grab Law’s leopard by the scruff of her neck. Diana yowled and Law screamed, both of them suddenly collapsing like marionettes whose strings had been cut. Law tried to stand, reaching towards his daemon instinctively. His chair toppled and Law nearly fell with it too, but he managed to cling to the table.

"W-whaa?" Law managed to choke out through gritted teeth. "Staa! Ss-s-stop-" Both Law and his daemon clawed at the table.

Doflamingo 'tsk'-ed disapprovingly and gave Law's daemon a slight shake. They screamed again in unison, Law facedown into the table and his now crumpled notes, Diana high-pitched and helpless, pinned to the same table.

"No simply repeating catchphrases you don't understand. That's intellectual laziness," lectured Doflamingo as Diana quaked beneath his hand. Her fur was luxuriously soft under Doflamingo's touch. "And you shouldn't lose your head under any circumstances. Really, Law, did you notice you just tried to give  _ me  _ an order?" 

Doflamingo slackened his grip on Diana to give Law some leeway to catch his breath. 

"Well, Law?" asked Doflamingo, hand still in full contact with Law's daemon. 

"Got it." Law glared defiance into the wood of the table. At least he had the sense not to direct that glare at Doflamingo. "Let us go.  _ Please _ ."

Doflamingo held Diana down for a moment longer - - just to make the point that this was ultimately Doflamingo’s decision- - and then slowly lifted his hand. The leopard launched herself at Law like quicksilver, slamming him to the floor. They disappeared behind the table.

Doflamingo hopped up to peer over the table. Law was clinging to his shaking daemon, putting himself between her and Doflamingo as if trying to shield her with his small body.

Doflamingo allowed them a moment. This was only the first lesson after all. He sat back down. 

When it had gone on long enough, Doflamingo drummed his fingers on the table to get Law's attention.

"Come on, Law. How long are you going to make me wait for you?"

There was silence, and then movement from the huddled bodies on the floor. Doflamingo heard Law take a breath, and then another.

After a long moment, Law stood. He righted the toppled chair, and took his seat back at the table, opposite Doflamingo. There was a smudge of ink on his cheek and apprehension on his face. Law's daemon stayed on the floor behind him.

"That's not a look that belongs on the face of a future Donquixote executive," said Doflamingo, not unkindly. "You'll need to practice this, Law. Imagine if it had been someone who actually wanted to hurt you."

Law swallowed and gave a slow nod. He put his hands on the table and straightened his shoulders. He still didn't meet Doflamingo's eyes. For a moment, Doflamingo wondered whether he had pushed too far and too fast. He was just about to call the lesson off when Law spoke.

"You can incapacitate someone if you hurt their daemon because it is a… an attack on their soul." Law's hands, clasped tightly in front of him, trembled ever so slightly. "It's… overwhelming. It would probably be effective on most people because having your daemon touched almost never happens, due to societal norms."

Law tensed, clearly wary of the consequences of giving another wrong answer. Doflamingo gave a smile. 

"Look at you, a proper scholar," praised Doflamingo loudly. He leaned forward and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial whisper. "We'll not have you be one of those plebeian masses, Law. You will be able to withstand little things like your daemon being lightly harmed."

He sat back and extended a hand, palm up. 

"How long do you think you'll need, Law? Two weeks?" 

Law took a breath and then looked up. Doflamingo could see the fear written in Law's eyes clear as day, the blown pupils stark against the light grey-gold irises.

"Sure," said Law. He shrugged with fragile bravado. "When do we start?"

For a moment, Doflamingo was stunned. Then, he burst out into laughter, delighted.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Tad bit of unreliable narrator Doffy and a lot of me just writing a love letter about my boi Law. Goshdang I like the edgy type and it shows.
> 
> I intend to post a daemon au snapshot fic every week for the next 4 weeks at least bc I stress-wrote quite a few so yeah there's more where this came from


End file.
